Football365 reported comments from former Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor and former United player Gordon Strachan about Manchester United, with Agbonlahor praising Aston Villa defender Victor Lindelof and Strachan backing head coach Michael Carrick. Manchester United have only won two of their first 10 matches in all competitions this season.
Lindelof's move to Aston Villa
Lindelof is 32 years old. He spent eight years at Manchester United between 2017 and 2025 and made 284 appearances in all competitions for the club. He was impacted by injuries in his last two seasons at Old Trafford and was let go on a free transfer at the end of the 2024/25 campaign. After a couple of months as a free agent, Lindelof joined Aston Villa on a free transfer.
Agbonlahor's verdict on Lindelof
Agbonlahor told talkSPORT: "There is one defender who Aston Villa have got who would be Manchester United’s best defender right now, and that is Victor Lindelof. He has been a revelation."
Agbonlahor said: "He’s been a great pro as well, last season, he wasn’t getting as many starts because Ezri Konsa was there."
Agbonlahor said: "But he was fantastic, and I think Taylor Harwood-Bellis has got a long way to get Lindelof out of the side."
Strachan backs Carrick
Strachan told Boyle Sports: "No, I don’t think Michael Carrick is on thin ice."
Strachan said: "Once new signings settle in, things will stabilize. However, looking at teams like Brentford, Brighton, or Leeds, their energy levels exceeded what Manchester United were putting out and that is concerning."
He added: "When you watch Manchester United, they seem to play in spells and seem to require breaks during matches to recover from high-intensity work which has to be fixed."
Strachan said: "There is also a squad transition taking place after previous tactical setups, particularly in how attacking players like Cunha and Mbeumo are integrated."
Strachan said: "Finding the right tactical balance, but finding a way to sort the overall team energy is the main challenge they face right now."